


Star-Crossed

by rowofstars



Series: 31 Days of Fandomas 2019 [4]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Christmas Decorations, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Kissing, Pre-Relationship, Storybrooke (Once Upon a Time)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-18
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:10:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21842146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rowofstars/pseuds/rowofstars
Summary: Belle is putting the finishing touches on the library's Christmas tree. Luckily Mr. Gold is there to help.
Relationships: Belle/Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold
Series: 31 Days of Fandomas 2019 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1561927
Comments: 26
Kudos: 54





	Star-Crossed

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy some simple pre-Christmas, pre-relationship, total Skin Deep call back fluff. For the 31 Days of Fandomas prompt #17: star.

“It’s fine, Miss French, really.”

“No it’s not. It’s crooked!”

There were times that Belle French wished she wasn’t so Type A that a slightly askew Christmas decoration was going to drive her slowly insane for the entire month of December. Being perched at the top of a twelve foot ladder, over the marble floor of the public library entrance, with her long standing but completely unrequited crush Mr. Gold looking on, was definitely one of those times. 

From the moment she’d met the enigmatic, sarcastically funny, and surprisingly sweet Mr. Gold she’d been fighting against her desire to make a complete idiot of herself by throwing herself at him. She’d always been fairly star-crossed when it came to relationships, which was how she’d ended up in tiny little Storybrooke in the first place, running from the shambles of a broken engagement in Boston. Before that she’d flown from Melbourne to Los Angeles just to avoid her ex-boyfriend’s wedding to her ex-best friend. 

As for LA, well, she was choosing not to think about anything that happened there ever again, thank you very much.

Belle stretched her arm up towards the top of the tree, straining to reach the lighted star that had been placed there a few minutes ago, as she braced her other hand on the top of the ladder. She pushed against the wood with the palm of her hand and lifted up on her toes until she could grasp the base of the star and the artificial branch it was attached to. It tilted as she turned it, trying to secure it further and straighten it at the same time. 

“Please be careful,” came the voice of Mr. Gold.

“Almost got it…” she muttered, wincing as her shoulder started to ache from straining at such an awkward angle.

The ladder creaked and her legs wobbled, and the next second she was floating in the air. Actually, no, she suddenly realized, she was not floating, she was falling. Definitely falling.

_“Oof!”_

Then, rather unexpectedly, she was not falling.

Belle blinked, looking up at the top of the tree, where the star was now sitting perfectly straight, and frowned. Her feet were not on the floor, and there was a hand very close to -

“Oh!”

She gasped and turned to see Mr. Gold’s face extremely close to her own. Her eyes met his and she stopped breathing, her mouth hanging open in shock. He was holding her quite firmly and solidly against his body with one arm around her back, and the other under legs. His expression looked just as surprised as hers, and they stared at each other for a long moment, until he abruptly dropped her legs to the floor.

She landed on her four inch heels and stumbled, catching herself by bracing against his chest. He breathed shallowly, and she felt the movement beneath her hands, the slow outward movement of his ribs and the shifting of his shoulders. His hands were at her waist, holding her gently, but her sweater had caught on the button of his waistcoat and lifted up, exposing a slim line of her abdomen. A soft pressure drew her attention, and she let out a small sound when his thumbs stroked her willowy skin. He breathed her name, so faintly that if she had not been close enough to feel the warm puff of air over her lips she would never have known.

“Thank you,” she whispered, her gaze dropping to his mouth which was alarmingly near to hers.

Gold’s hands flexed slightly pressing over her skin as her fingers curled around the lapels of his suit jacket, and a beat later their lips touched in a brief, glancing brush that made her eyelids flutter. She tilted her head, bumping her nose into his just before his mouth caught her bottom lip. He kissed her, softly, tasting her with the lightest flick of his tongue, and drawing a whimper from her throat before he pulled away.

His eyes were wide and dark, staring at her as though he couldn’t decide whether to bolt for the door or push her against the circulation desk. She decided for him, pushing up on her toes to seal her lips over his as she tugged on his jacket and turned them away from the Christmas tree. He followed without moving his mouth from hers and slipped a hand in her hair, tangling in her dark curls a second before her back was pressed to the edge of the counter.

This time when he pulled away, he was smiling.

“Dinner?” he asked, breathless.

Belle grinned and licked her lips, feeling her head spin delightfully at the pleasurable turn of events. “Yes. When?”

He swallowed and let his eyes skim up over her face, down to the deep V of her green sweater. “Tonight? My place?”

She laughed softly at his enthusiasm. “Perfect.”

Gold leaned in and kissed her again as his hands came up to cup her face. When he pulled away, he was smirking, and she arched an eyebrow at him as she watched him walk to the door.

His gaze shifted rather pointedly to the top of the tree, and then back to her, his head cocked to the side. “It’s crooked again.”

He pushed through the doors as Belle whirled around and stared up at the star, brightly lit and tilted too far to the left. She shook her head, her lips pursing in half amusement, half consternation, and sighed.

Still star-crossed after all.


End file.
